Thermal treatment of carbonaceous materials



m ma Apr. 194g 2.21am j THERMAL TREATMENT or cannomcsous m Anthea, Wilhelm v. l-uener m Walter Simon, Ludwigshafen-on-thclhine, Germany,

allignorstol.

nlndustrie Aktiengesellschaft, Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany x; 1mm. Application much 22, 1941, Serial No. 384,742. Germany April 1040 9'Olalms. (CL 196-52) The present invention relates to the thermal treatment of carbonaceous materials.

It is already known to carry out the destructive hydrogenation under pressure or the cracking of carbonaceous materials in contact with catalysts comprising metal sulphides, especially heavy metal sulphides, for example those produced by heating the corresponding thio-salts. It has further been proposed to use mixtures of sulphides of the metals of the 6th group of the periodic system (more particularly molybdenum or tungsten) with sulphides of the metals of the iron group (iron, nickel or cobalt) for this purpose. These mixtures have up to the present generally been produced by co-precipitation from aqueous solutions of salts of the said metals or by sulphidizing a mixture of the metals or metal compounds or a compound containing both metals, for example nickel tungstate.

We have now found that valuable hydrocarbon oils can be produced from carbonaceous materials with advantage by thermal treatment, for instance by treating with hydrogen or gases containing hydrogen or by cracking, in contact with catalysts, if as catalysts are used mixtures of metal sulphides, which have been obtained-by mixing in a dry state ammonium thio-salts of metals of the 6th group of the periodic system with finelydivided metals of the iron group obtained from the corresponding carbonyl compounds, and heating the mixture, if desired after grinding it, at temperatures above 300 C.,

preferably in the presence of reducing or inert gases. Heating is preferably continued until the evolution of ammonia subsides. This method of tained so that economies are realized in the said hydrocarbon production.

For preparing the catalyst ammonium thio-' molybdates or tungstates are preferably employed as ammonium thio-salts of the metals of to the total catalyst. Other percentages for the components, however, may also be employed, for example such in which the metals of theiron group are given preponderance.

The dry mixture of thio-salt and metalafter being ground, if desired, is then heated to temperatures of from 300' to 500 0., preferably from 375 to 475 C., for example for from 1 to 24 hours. This is best achieved in a current of a gas containing hydrogen, carbon dioxide or nitrogen or more than one of these-gases. The efltciency of the catalyst is increased by carrying out the heating with the addition'of a sulphurizing medium, as for example hydrogen sulphide.

The thermal treatment with hydrogen or gases containing hydrogen, in the presence of catalysts according to the process of the present invention,

may comprise, for example simple hydrogenation or destructive hydrogenation processes and also dehydrogenation processes.

The said hydrogenationv processes are as a rille 7 carried out at temperatures of between 300 and 600 C. and in practice between about 380". and 480 C, and under high pressures of at least 50 atmospheres, for example 100, 200, 300, 700 or 1000 atmospheres or more.

The catalysts according to the present invention are also particularly suitable for the hydrogenation of polymerization products, such as for the 6th group which may, for example, be produced by dissolving molybdicor tungstic acid in a solution of ammonium sulphide and introducing hydrogen sulphide. The thio-salts so obtained are then separated, dried and mixed with iron, nickel or cobalt produced in a finely dispersed state by decomposing the corresponding metal carbonyls at a high temperature in.known manner. The metals of the iron group are employed inan amount of from 1 to 50 per cent, preferably from 1 to 30 per cent, advantageously from 5 to 25 per cent, calculated with reference example the hydrogenation of diisobutylene for the manufacture of isooctane.

The following example will further illustrate the nature of our said invention and how the same can be carried out in practice, but it should he understood that the invention is not limited to the said example.

Example 1 atomic proportion of nickel prepared by the thermal decomposition of nickel carbonyl is intimately mixed with 2 molecular proportions of ammonium thiotungstate in a ball mill and treated in a current of hydrogen at from 400 to 450 C. for 2 to 3 hours until the evolution of ammonia subsides. The powder is cooled in the obtained a pressure of 50 atmospheres at a temperature of 485 C. the throughput being adjusted to 0.5 kilogram oi initial material per liter of catalyst space per ho while the amount of hydrogen is 2 cubic meters per kilogram of initial material per hour. A gasoline is obtained containing 57 per cent of aromatic hydrocarbons.

what we claim is:

1. A process for the production of hydrocarbons from a carbonaceous material by thermal treatment at temperatures 01 between 300 and 600 C., in the presence of a catalyst, which comprises using as catalyst a mixture of metal sulphides, which has been obtained by mixing ina dry state an ammonium thio-salt or a metal of the 6th group of the periodic system with a finely divided metal of the iron group obtained from the corresponding carbonyl compound, and heating the mixture at temperatures above 300 C.

2. A process as claimed in claim 1, which comprises heating the dry mixture in the presence of treatment at temperatures of .between 300 and 600 C. in the presence or hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst, which comprises using as catalyst a mixture of metal sulphides, which has been obtained by mixing in a dry state an am-' monium thio-salt or a metal 01' the 6th group or the periodic system, with a finely divided metal or the iron group obtained from the corresponding carbonyl compound and heating the mixture at temperatures above 300' C., at least until the formation of ammonia ceases.

'7. A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the thermal treatment is a destructive hydrogenation under a pressure of at least 50 atmospheres.

8.v A process as claimed in claim 6, wherein the thermal treatment is a dehydrogenation under v pressure.

9. A process for the production of hydrocarbons of lower boiling point from hydrocarbons of higher boiling point by cracking in the presence of a catalyst, which comprises using as catalyst a mixture of metal sulphides, which has been obtained by mixing in a dry state an ammonium thio-salt of a metal of the 6th group or the periodic system, with a finely divided metal of the iron group obtained from the corresponding carbonyl compound and. heating the mixture at temperatures above300 C., at least until the formation 01' ammonia ceases. 1

, EUGEN ANTHES.

. WILHELM v. FUENER. WALTER SIMON. 

